Palestinian youth sentenced to 18 years for terror attack

A 17-year-old was found guilty of a stabbing terror attack; he was neutralized by Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat and his bodyguard; presiding judge voiced concern over “a growing number” of attacks led by “very young children”

Yael Friedson|Last update: 06.05.16 , 19:26

The Jerusalem District Court sentenced a 17-year-old Palestinian from Birzeit on Sunday after being found guilty of stabbing an Israeli Jew at IDF Sq. in Jerusalem in February 2015. The young Palestinian then continued on a stabbing spree, wounding others in his path.

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In addition to being convicted of two attempted murders, the young Palestinian was ordered to pay his first victim, who was moderately wounded, 100,000 shekels in damages.

The indictment also listed the offender’s other terror attempts, which included throwing a pipe bomb, rocks and Molotov cocktails at IDF soldiers during the summer of 2015.

Presiding Judge Moshe Bar referred to the growing number of nationalistic attacks over the last year. “A wave of terror has been sweeping Israel in the recent past. As a result, people have lost their lives while others have suffered physical and mental injuries,” he said during the sentence reading, adding that “It is also becoming clearer that this trend includes a growing number of very young children.”

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat and his bodyguard overtake the terrorist

“In today’s tough reality, there is no avoiding harsher punishment, with the verdict itself expressing the value of integrity of the body and the sanctity of life for the general public,” Bar continued. “The current security situation in our area forces us to use a harsh and deterring hand to return peace to the citizens of Israel and particularly to the city of Jerusalem, which is suffering from acts of terror and disruptions to their daily lives.”

The Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office reacted with satisfaction to the verdict, saying that "Handing down such a severe verdict sends a clear message that anyone committing an act of terror with a murderous intent will spend many years behind bars, even if they happen to be a minor.”